HML Display – referral

Four Ways to Get Better at Your Job Right Away:
Stepping Up to Boost Your Productivity

Laura Stack

It should go without saying that one of your primary goals as an employee is to improve at your job, and most of us set out to build toward peak performance using time-tested, long-term methods that produce over time. We've all heard about the 10,000-hour rule, and how it gradually lifts us toward expert status; and you've probably seen it at work in your own career. I certainly have. Most improvements are gradual like this.

That said, there are things you can do today that will noticeably improve your productivity within 24 hours, if not right away. They're not magic -- just common-sense ideas you may have lost track of as you hustled to get your job done. And while these tactics may not have as great an effect on your productivity as your long-term efforts, they'll push you further up the productivity slope.

Taking Back Your Productivity

Let's take a quick look at four easy productivity tips. You may be surprised at how basic some of them are -- but they work.

1. Get some sleep. In a world where we're constantly on the go, there's only so much time available for work and all the other things we have to do. Therefore, many of us encroach on a time-block we mistakenly believe is at least partially optional: sleep. It's not unusual for busy professionals to get five hours of sleep or less per night as we try to keep up. Don't. A sleep deficit leaves you fuzzy-minded, less intelligent, and less creative, and it can be dangerous in some situations. You'll get more done and have to repeat less if you're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed all day. A good night's sleep can make a big difference.

2. Clean up and organize. An hour spent organizing your physical and electronic files, as well as office supplies, your desk, and your office in general, may result in an hour's saved time the next day alone. Your goal should be to find the resources you need within less than a minute, rather than spending 20 minutes figuring out which pile you've put something in. While you're at it, implement my 6-D Information Management SystemTM. Apply one of six actions starting with a "D" to every bit of information that comes your way: Discard what you can live without; Delegate it to someone else; Do it now, if it takes just a few minutes; Date it, putting it off until you have time for it; Drawer or store it if you don't use it but can't toss it; or Deter it by ensuring you no longer receive the information.

3. Think like your manager. If you can adopt your supervisor's mindset and his or her favorite form of communication, you're less likely to make errors based on assumptions or different styles. If you can't establish how they think based on observation, request a brief appointment, and ask them directly about how they do things. Then organize your task lists, priorities, and responses based on what is needed from you first.

4. Stop trying to multitask. There's a 97 percent chance you can't do it well. Most of us function best by committing totally to one task at a time, while blocking all distractions until we're done. Moving back and forth from one thing to another keeps you constantly confused as you switch gears.

Managing Yourself

Adopting these and other basic time-management techniques will keep your feet firmly on the productivity road, helping you boost your performance in ways both small and large even as you work your way up the learning curve of the harder, long-term productivity techniques. Keep it up, and in time, you'll hit the master level where it all becomes easy -- an indicator that it's time to start stretching yourself toward the next plateau of productivity. Like all the best journeys, there's no preset destination. Whenever you get where you're going, just set a new goal.

Related Articles:

Pssst: Your Inner Voice is Talking to You
"Research that employer before the interview." "Save more money." "Just ask him (or her) out already!" Giving advice is easy. But when your inner voice speaks to you, why is it so hard to listen?

Have Your Goals and Eat Your Spaghetti Too
It's been said in business that the greatest enemy of action is the lack of a plan. I say the greatest enemy of a plan is lack of action. Goals become merely wishful thinking unless you further define them as objectives with specific measurements and act upon them.

The Pie-In-The-Sky Procrastination Trap
What can you do if you or someone you know has fallen into the Pie-in-the-Sky Procrastination Trap? It takes some willingness, work, and discipline to climb out, but it can be done. It requires recognizing Pie-in-the-Sky behaviors along with an openness to doing things differently. Follow these steps to descend from the sky and land back on your feet.

About the author:

Laura Stack is a high-energy International Keynote Speaker. Bestselling author of six books. Leading Expert in performance and productivity. Audience favorite for thousands year-after-year. Go-to resource to increase sales. Build teams. Grow customer bases. Nurture leadership. And help people achieve more in less time with more balance (and less stress) than ever before. Fun, dynamic, and drivenâand perfect for your next event. Contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com.